Steam-cooker.



J. M. LEWIS. STEAM GDOKER. V

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 27, 1908.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908,

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.TOI-INM. LEWIS', OF BLANCHE, ALABAMA.

STEAM-COOKER.

Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

Application filed July 27, 1908. Serial No. 445,591.

T o all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. LEwis, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Blanche, in the county of Cherokee and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Cookers, of which the following is a full and clear specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure l is a vertical longitudinal sectional view; and, Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple apparatus for steaming and boiling canned vegetables and fruits, and the invention consists in certain novel features of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

A designates the furnace which may be constructed of masonry or of iron, and supported in this furnace is the boiler which consists of a series of compartments or vats, the central vat B being considerably deeper than the two end vats C, and each vat being provided with a removable cover and suitable horizontal crate-supporting bars D.

The boiler is set down partly into the furnace and is preferably constructed of sheet metal and is supported within the furnace by two arched bars E attached to the opposite side walls of the boiler and having their ends restin upon the top of the furnace. A space 1s formed around the sides and rear end of the boiler so that the products of combustion practically envelop the lower half of the boiler, thus obtaining a maximum heating capacity. To still further increase the heating capacity of the furnace the products of combustion are caused to pass forwardly throu h two or more large tubes F extending entire y throu h all the vats and opening into a smoke-box at their forward ends at the front of the furnace just over the furnace door. The front wall of this smoke-box is hinged at H so that it may be opened to permit the smoke box and the flues to be cleaned.

It will be observed that the top wall of the smoke-box is formed by the bottom of the supply-tank while the back wall thereof is formed by the front wall of the boiler pro er, whereby the heat of the products of com ustion is utilized to a maximum extent before esca ing u through the smoke-flue; and it will e furt er observed that by hinging the front wall of the smoke-box at its upper end and inclining-it toward the boiler the smoke.- box may be cleaned expeditiously as it will simply be necessary to unfasten the lower edge of the door and swing it downwardly and away from the boiler whereupon the accumulated soot will fall into a receptacle placed or held below.

The products of combustion pass from the smoke box up the stack I, surrounding which is a water-supply tank K, the object of this being to utilize the waste products of combustlon to preliminarily heat the water to be supplied to the vats. The tank K is connected to the several vats by a suitable arrangement of valved pipes L so that the water from the tank may be run into the vats separately, thus permitting the level of water in each tank to be kept at' the point desired. A suitable arrangement of pipes M is em loyed to drain the vats.

y reason of the manner of su porting the boiler on the furnace a strong an rigid structure is obtained and furthermore the boiler,

together with the water-tank, the tank being permanently attached to the forward end of the boiler, may be readily removed entirely from the furnace to permit the boiler and the furnace to be separately repaired andl cleaned.

The central vat is made deeper than the others in order that it may be used for steaming the cans preparatory to sealing them in the usual manner. The cans are first steamed in the usual manner in the central vat and after being removed and sealed they are placed in the end vats for boiling and inasmuch as they come from the steam vat hot they will not materially reduce the temperature of the water in these boiling vats. The larger capacity of the central vat enables it to accommodate enough cans to supply both the other vats, so that with a single steaming vat the operation of the apparatus may be continuous.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. In combination, a furnace, a boiler supported therein and consisting of a series of vats and fire flues extending from the back of the boiler to the front thereof through the vats, an elevated supfply-tank supported upon the forward end o' t e boiler and having valved pipe connections with the various vats and having a smoke-.Hue extending up through it, and a smoke-box formed at the junction of the boiler and the bottom of the supply-tank, the bottoni of the supply-tank on the furnace Walls, said boiler being divided and the front Wall of the boiler thus forming up into a series of vats.

tWo Walls of the smoke-box, and the front In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my Wall of the smoke-box being hinged to the signature in the presence of two Witnesses 5 bottom of the supply-tank and inclined tothis 24 day of July 1908.

Ward the boiler7 for the purpose set forth.

T 2Q The combination With a furnace, a boiler JOHD M' LEWIS' set down in the top of the furnace, a pair of Vitnesses: arched bars fastened to the opposite sides of A. J. LEATH,

10 the boiler and having their ends supported J. C. FAULKNER. 

